It All Comes Full Circle

September 27, 2010

It starts on a golf course and apparently ends on a golf course. The 2010 season, that is.

Early January this year saw me arrive at a cool, windy, and wet golf course alongside the Algarve coast in the western Mediterranean. Team camp commenced bringing in my second year with the Cervelo TestTeam all throughout the circuitous roads mapped across the rolling southern Portuguese hills.

The photo below was out my back porch on an unexpectedly dry morning as the sun peaked over the horizon and glistened the dewy golf course. (I apologize for waxing poetic; I’m just laying down the facts as eloquently as possible.)

Now I find myself nearly nine months later having arrived just hours ago to southern Australia and the UCI World Championships. Racing begins this week with the showcase elite road race next Sunday October 3. I snapped this photo in a dry spell between the bouts of spitting rain. That’s fine, though, since Algarve (as well as life in New England) hardened me up so I’ll do just fine in the potentially tumultuous conditions.

As for the race itself, I think it will be far tougher than the average Joseph McBike is expecting – namely, the course is a bit more undulating and not the pancake flat sprint fest that some had mentioned. Anywho if if it comes to a sprint, it’ll be a small group since the circuits on course features two short, leg searing climbs. Additionally, the weather isn’t the summery Shangri-La that some are expecting. Sure sure, we have good weather forecasted for the latter part of the week, but rain, wind, and cold could also play an important part in the race. Let the games begin!

Let’s now leap back in time, or at least take a gander at the past few weeks. The best word to summarize this time is home. A good follow up is focus. Let’s Tarentino it and figure out why…

Spending time at “home” these past few weeks has been different than what is typical for me. See, in most circumstances given the time of year or time of season, when I’m home in the fine state of New Hampshire I’m usually fully engrossed in any and all activities related to relaxing. Chilling, putting out the vibe, doing mind-numbingly nuthin‘ come to mind, as well as golf, and slightly more vibe emission. June, for example, had me returning home having just finished the Giro… which just so happens to be a race taxing enough to warrant an easy few weeks of bike-less fun. Similarly, in seasons past, early September marks Tour of Missouri and/or USPro championships, which as a perfectly fitting time to be calling it a season.

Alas, these past three week have been a bit different than the norm as I have happily remained full-gas in regards training and maintaining race season focus. I went to USPro ready for greatness and hoped to continue that form at the World Championships. I had an excellent time in Greenville thanks to hanging out with my former teammate Lucas and being hosted by Craig and Courtney, plus entertained by their hilarious and incredibly hospitable family. I met some great people (this one at the CutawayClothing booth)…

I met a very stylish young cycling fan with a KoS approved King of Style shirt…

I enjoyed the pre-Nationals ride with the Hincapie clothing folks…

I did some bike racing…

Thanks Thomas Woodson for the photo

…and lost some skin with an untimely feedzone incident… That one need not a photo, but suffice it to say that it a) sucked and b) sucked. Thankfully it was a superficial wound(s) and my mind and body were ready to make the trek to Oz where I am now. So now that it’s nearly 10pm and I’m feeling the drowsying effects of jet-lag kick in as I type this, let’s just summarize by saying I’m thrilled to be here this week for the World Championships. Our team is an awesome collection of American cyclists with talents ranging all across the board; we really are in the hunt for greatness.

So with that, goodnight and (and hopefully I don’t wake up at 4:12am). PEACE.

Superfred

Hey Ted, welcome to Aus! Just saw your last tweet ha ha. Another one which the tourists don’t understand until they’ve been here: “If you dont like the weather in Melbourne, just wait 10 minutes!”
Good luck racing!

Becky B

Excellent recap!
A questions regarding the “the pre-Nationals ride with the Hincapie clothing folks” – Was that the Stars & Stripes Challenge Ride charity ride? We’re tentatively planning a trip to the 2011 race, and would like to do that ride as long as we’re there.